Landing Mack would be tough, so don't sleep on Costa

The Colts signed former Cowboys center Phil Costa on Thursday, raising an important question in light of the team's conversations with Browns free agent Alex Mack:

Will Costa be the Colts' starting center?

The answer: Maybe.

It's the only answer we can offer right now because the Colts aren't done shaping their roster. But if they had to trot out a lineup and play a game today, odds are Costa would be snapping to Andrew Luck. The reality is opening day is still six months away and those decisions don't have to be made now.

As it relates to Alex Mack, signing Costa doesn't preclude the team from moving forward with its pursuit of the Browns star. But it does seem to make it a lower priority.

Although Mack, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is clearly a superior talent compared to Costa, some important obstacles to acquiring him remain – regardless of the team's interest level. He won't be cheap, the Browns still have a right to match a competing offer (because of the transition tag), and there are other teams in the mix, too. If the Colts don't land Mack – hardly a certainty – and are left with Costa, it would not be a case of them simply choosing Costa over Mack. That would be a gross oversimplification.

Back to Costa.

The most specific thing we can say right now is that Costa will be in the mix to be the starting center. General manager Ryan Grigson's carefully-worded statement accompanying the press release of the Costa signing tells you all you need to know about where he stands with the Colts.

"Phil is a young, hard-nosed and physical center who has shown he can play at a winning level in our league," Grigson said. "He will provide strong competition at the center position."

The operative word there is "competition." A source (not Grigson) said Thursday that the idea is indeed for Costa to compete for a starting job, echoing what Grigson said publicly.

This leads to another question: Compete with who? Khaled Holmes is still on the roster after what amounted to a redshirt year as a rookie last season. It's hard to imagine he would be thrust into a starting role, but we can't discount his presence.

Costa started 17 straight games in 2011-12 before suffering a back injury and missing most of 2012. Is he an elite player? Hardly. Can he be an adequate starter? That's very possible. The Cowboys would have kept him if not for their terrible salary-cap position and the presence of first-round pick Travis Frederick at center.

Considering the interest in Mack, most fans will feel disappointed if Costa winds up being the starting center. The Colts, however, think he has real ability.